Freezer Cookies

I always liked the thought of freezing my cookies ahead so that we would have them on hand for lunches, etc. But I always thought they tasted so 'old' after they were frozen! But then I discovered what everyone else probably already knows! (= If one freezes them while they are fresh  (as in just barely cooled) they are WONDERFUL! Get them out of the freezer, thaw, and they taste just like you just baked them. So I am very excited about this! (= I did also discover that waxed paper or something should be used between layers in case they are still a little warm cause they will fuse together and make a huge mess. I package them 3 cookies to a sandwich baggie and that is very handy! They can be laid out to freeze and then boxed up and put into lunches or used for snacks a little at a time. For large families tho this might be impractical... 

  Monster Cookies

2lbs brown sugar

2 cups white sugar

1 lb butter

12 eggs

1/4 cup vanilla

1 tbsp molasses

8 tsp soda

3 lbs peanut butter

18cups oatmeal

1 lb chocolate chips

1 lb M&M's

Mix all together well with commercial mixer or hands! (=

Drop onto ungreased cookie sheets and flatten slightly.

Bake 350* for about 10-12 min. Do not overbake!

Yields 124 lg cookies

Stuff

We have been on the 'warpath' around here against clutter!  This has been in the making for a little while now but it just recently started to actually happen! (=
 Quite a while ago (maybe a yr or so) I picked up a book at a thrift store on clutter control. For a while it became part of the clutter! :/ But then one day I started to read it... and then read more... and then other books... and blogs... and 'googled' clutter control. All by moms who have or are having success in the clutter control area. Of course these moms had to be good mothers and wives with sound principles or their clutter control ideas were carefully handled! (Taken with a pill) Not that clutter control has anything major to do with principles (??it might??) but I don't want to shirk my family for the 'spotless' house! Or spend to much of my husbands hard earned money!!!
 So now we are living a rather different life then we once were and that is what I am sharing! (=
 The very first thing I had to figure out was to 'eat that frog'! Or to do the job I dread the most FIRST before any other jobs! I highly recommend the Eat That Frog book written by Brian Tracy. Even tho it might not be about clutter it still helps! (=
 Also, use the 'slight edge' on everything. It doesn't have to all be done today but a little here and a little there must be done every day! And then maintained. Everyday.
 Involve the children. Ask for ideas (and use them). Praise them at least 5 times for every correction you must give. And do a little here, a little there, everyday!
 And draw every day from God Who gives us the strength to be Mothers! (=
 Clutter control is just that. Controlling clutter! In my case with my tiny house that meant getting rid of it! At first it was hard but now 'things' get thrown out or given away quite happily because after all the only 'things' I get to keep when Jesus comes back is my husband and children! (=
 So my encouragement to you is, if you don't like clutter and you DO like to be organized then you CAN do it!! (= I was one of the most disorganized 'phlegs' ever! So start reading and motivating yourself and let yourself go! (=

Homemade Ketchup

You will need:

1 Lg Kettle

2 quart jars with lids

bender

 2 1/2 quarts tomato juice

3/4 cup red wine vinegar (the other recipe called for reg but I thought it seems to strong?)

1 Lg Onion

2 Tbsp sea salt

1/2tsp plus 1/8 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp red pepper

1/2 tsp plus 1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp cloves

2 1/2 cups sugar (I didn't have raw on hand so used refined)

Clear jell or cornstarch

Quarter the onion and put in the blender. Cover with tomato juice and blend well. Pour onion and rest of tomato juice into the kettle and add salt and spices.

Cook down till it seems a lot like ketchup.(I don't know how long that takes as I had to turn mine off in the middle of cook down to go pick up Steve) Add the sugar and return to a boil, stirring constantly. Thicken with Clear Jell to however thick you want it!

Cool.

Pour into jars.

Refrigerate.

Enjoy!

(=

Ranch Dressing Dip

You will need:

 One SlowCooker

1/2gallon milk

1/2 cup live yogurt

1/2 cup sugar

1 pkg Knox gelatin OR 1 tbsp plain gelatin

Lg cloth to fix in and drape over a gallon sized bowl

1 Gallon sized bowl

String to tie the cloth and hang it

Blanket or several towels

 You will be making yogurt first and with yogurt it is best to use glass or ceremic.

 Measure out 1/2 cup milk into sm bowl. Pour rest of milk in slowcooker. Cover and turn to low. Set timer for 2 and 1/2 hrs.

When timer goes unplug cooker and reset timer for 3 hrs.

 Meanwhile add gelatin to 1/2cup milk. Measure out sugar. And place yogurt in a 2 cup or larger bowl. Set all aside.

 When the 3 hrs is up add 1/2 cup of the hot milk to the yogurt, whisk together. whisk sugar, gealtin mixture and yogurt into hot milk. Recover and tuck blanket or towels over the cooker. Leave for at least 8 hrs or overnight.

 If you start this at 3:30 in the afternoon it will be ready to 'put to bed' at @9 pm.

Line gallon bowl with cloth. And place string and bowl close to where you wanna hang it.

 When yogurt is ready,eat as much as you want (= As long as you dont eat it all! LOL

 Pour it into the cloth lined bowl and gather up all the corners,tie tightly with string and hang above bowl for @12 hrs.

 So if you want this dip for sunday lunch start it friday afternoon and it should be done sat afternoon. (=

At the end of 12 hrs flip the 'cheese' in the cloth into a bowl. Pour whey into jar to use in smoothies and shakes,refridgerate both till ready to use.

 If you are using the 'cheese' for dip right away, you will need:

1/2 cup of the 'cheese'

2 med cloves garlic

1 tsp dried minced chives

1/8tsp dried dill weed

3-4 dashes black pepper

1/4-1/2 tsp salt (I use sea salt)

1 1/2 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp onion powder or minced dried onion

If it's to stiff add a little yogurt

Whisk well and refridgerate at least one hr.

 If you need the size you buy at the store increase this recipe 4 times to use 2 cups of the 'cheese'.